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Computer Build Resource Thread - Page 1353

Forum Index > Tech Support
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When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly.
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 15:40 GMT
#27041
Hi

I want to upgrade my GPU. Currently I got an ATI Sapphire Radeon 5870 1GB "Reference model".
(i7 920 @ 4.2GHz)
Would a GTX 560 Ti be a good upgrade?
Rachnar
Profile Joined October 2010
France1526 Posts
January 19 2013 15:41 GMT
#27042
No, they perform about the same

an upgrade would be at the very least a 7870 (and it wouldn't really be worth it)
"What if it's a triple DK ?" "Then we cry" "Prepare your handkerchief then ..."
CHiPZ
Profile Joined November 2011
Liechtenstein38 Posts
January 19 2013 15:59 GMT
#27043
Ok thank all of you guys for your help and explanations despite my lack of knowledge in some of these areas.
This is what ive updated to

NEW LIST
CPU: INTEL CORE i5 3570K $226 . It is my understanding now that the hyperthreading features of i7 wont be needed by me and appears that this is the fastest core for meaningful performance in games.

MOTHER: Asrock Z75 Pro3 vs Asrock Z77 Pro3 ($108) Both have been reccomended to me. Does anyone have any comments on space issues ? Im also wondering it supports one x16 slot, and from the 7950 website "PCI Express® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard" It seems to me it would work. But just throwing it out there to double check (dont want to come home and realise im missing a needed slot)

RAM: 16GB KIT 1600 (8GB x 2) G.SKILL CL10 RIPJAWS-X/ARES $94/$94 OR
16GB KIT 1600 (8GB x 2) KINGSTON HYPERX $95 OR
16GB KIT 1600 (4GB x 4) G.SKILL RIPJAWS-Z CL9 $105
Ok took your advice. However im lazy and ill just take 16gb so i dont have to upgrade later on. is there any real difference between 4x4gb or 2x8gb (lets hope 4x4 can fit.. :S)
Also kingston vs g.skill, both support esports and its 1 dollar diff?


GPU: 7950 3GB GIGABYTE WF OC/ASUS DCU II $325/$338
I like these two brands. Not sure what justifies the extra $13 but if you guys say this is better than the 660Ti ill get it. I'm still pondering this one, as I do plan to hook it up to a tv of 39Inch's @ 1080 so the better Antialiasing might be good, but the extra power of the 7950 should be worth it. Do you people think with the savings of money in other parts, that I should get an even better gfx card, or is 7950 right on in the cost efficiency ratio.

CD DRIVE: SATA DVD SAMSUNG/LG/LITEON/MSI/ASUS/PIONEER $19/$19/$19/$20/$22/$23
as long as it works no dramas..

EXTRA COOLER: COOLERMASTER HYPER 212 EVO $34
Again ill buy it since i only want to go once. Noise isnt an issue

CASE: COOLERMASTER HAF X-942 NVIDIA EDITION $215
Ill note your suggestions, ill take a look at the physical models

POWER: ANTEC HIGH CURRENT GAMER 520W $83

WIFI CARD: 20$

HARD DRIVE: 2TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA $94
is there any compelling reason to not choose seagate as a brand?
Words have no power.
CHiPZ
Profile Joined November 2011
Liechtenstein38 Posts
January 19 2013 16:10 GMT
#27044
Sorry side question, im pretty sure it doesn't really make a difference, but does the network card really matter as long as it is wireless n 300Mbs standard? Would something like this:
http://www.killergaming.com/solutions/Network_Cards
be good or is is it just marketing hype?
Words have no power.
MisterFred
Profile Joined October 2010
United States2033 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-19 16:20:14
January 19 2013 16:15 GMT
#27045
On January 20 2013 01:10 CHiPZ wrote:
Sorry side question, im pretty sure it doesn't really make a difference, but does the network card really matter as long as it is wireless n 300Mbs standard? Would something like this:
http://www.killergaming.com/solutions/Network_Cards
be good or is is it just marketing hype?


"Gaming" network cards like Killer solutions are almost all marketing hype. There might be some benefit if you like to game while also doing other really bandwidth-intensive tasks at the same time (torrents) - in that case the killer-type card should be able to prioritize gaming traffic over torrent traffic. But generally they're pretty useless.

Regarding a wireless card, it's often better to get a USB dongle because it doesn't take up internal space, can theoretically be used to wave around the dongle on a USB extension cord to find a sweet spot, whatever. Ethernet is better than wireless if possible, of course.

As for motherboard, any modern motherboard is going to be fine in terms of fitting (one) video card/fitting in the cases we've mentioned. (All modern motherboards come with at least one PCI-E x16 slot, generally the top-most full-sized pci-e slot, and to be uselessly technical, the 7950 doesn't require an x16 slot.)
"The victor? Not the highest scoring, nor the best strategist, nor the best tactitian. The victor was he that was closest to the Tao of FFA." -.Praetor
Alryk
Profile Blog Joined November 2011
United States2718 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-19 16:43:53
January 19 2013 16:35 GMT
#27046
Umm just for what its worth, you say 16gb so that you don't have to upgrade later, but that's kind of what 8gb is. The average consumer /gamer workload is around 3-5gb, and rarely more. With Skype, chrome, sc2, and often another program open, my computer wont go over four. Sixteen is just horrendous overkill for a gaming system.

I'd much rather take the 40$ and put it to a 7970, or just take a girl outto eat ^^

umm I'm 90% sure you don't need a haf-942? I think that's a full tower... Stick to mid towers generally. If you want a high end case you can do that for like 100-150. Fractal design define r3, antec cases around that price range come to mind, but I'm not very updated on that so there might be better options pretty easily.

edit: if you play newer games that aren't hots like you said you did, definitely drop the 16gb and get like a 7970 or something. The 16--> 8gb plus saving 100$ on the case (150$ is really already high end, I'm perfectly happy with my 30$ case) could get you a 7970 and a higher end cooler like a noctua if you wanted.

double edit: currently on an i3-3220. Do yall think it'd probably be a good idea to wait a while (broadwell?) to update to a quad core? SC2 is the most demanding game I play. I was on a budget then, and i assume that haswell wont be good enough to warrant getting an upgrade just yet, since it mainly focuses on GPU.
Team Liquid, IM, ViOlet!
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 16:37 GMT
#27047
On January 20 2013 01:35 Alryk wrote:
Umm just for what its worth, you say 16gb so that you don't have to upgrade later, but that's kind of what 8gb is. The average consumer /gamer workload is around 3-5gb, and rarely more. With Skype, chrome, sc2, and often another program open, my computer wont go over four. Sixteen is just horrendous overkill for a gaming system.



Agree.
I asked a lot of forums about this too. They all agree that 6GB is more than what you need.
Regarding speed however. They recommend 1600MHz. Timings are also a factor. But mostly 1600MHz on 6GB is pretty much all you need. CPU and GPU are the main caps - usually the GPU. Today's cpus are very good.
RiceAgainst
Profile Blog Joined November 2011
United States1849 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-19 18:20:01
January 19 2013 17:21 GMT
#27048
Question about building: should you buy all the parts at once, or can you wait ~a week between buying parts just to get the best deals?

~$500 SC2/Witcher 2/SWTOR @ any USA Online (Newegg/Amazon/etc.) Build is:
CPU: i3 3220 $120
GPU: HD7850 $140*
MOBO: AsRock B75M-DGS $55
PSU: CX500 80+ $50**
RAM: ??? (I want 1600Mhz, DDR3, 8GB though I can go down to
GB and MAYBE 4GB) $30-$40***
Case: $50 - $60 ****

*1) So, this deal is only for 24 hours, with about 15 hours remaining. I originally wanted the Gigabyte w/ 2 huge fans and 3 yr. warranty @ $185. Sapphire has a 7850 900Mhz clock (compared to XFX 860 clock) @ $165 w/ 2 yr. warranty (rebate). The XFX is 2 yr. @ 860 but since I plan on OC'ing it anyways, I might as well just get the XFX. Any contradictions or is this deal good enough that I should buy ASAP?

** 2) I know I could get the CX430W for $25 (rebate), and since it's 80+ it's good enough, but I'd rather get a slightly bigger PSU to ensure a longer life & since I'm OC'ing. Unless you guys can prove me wrong that the 430W is good enough (which I hope you guys can), I'll be getting this 500W instead.

*** 3) Currently running DDR3 2x2 GB 1333, which I might just reuse to save money to get an i5 instead. Sufficient, but I'd like to get newer RAM; if I really don't need 1600 and I really don't need 8GB (I run at most, Chrome w/ 10 tabs, Skype, Steam, and SC2/LoL/or SWTOR), then I might get another set of 2x2GB 1333.

**** 4) I don't want terrible cable management but it doesn't have to have amazing management. I'd like a case w/ some fans already installed, maybe something with fans on the top (oh, and question about this: my PC is located directly under my desk so the top fans will blow air out to the underside of my desk: will this air go back in?).

$500 w/o tax and shipping, and w/ rebates included is the ABSOLUTE MOST I will pay. This is because I originally wanted to only upgrade some parts but was convinced otherwise to get a 7850 instead of a 7770, etc. etc.


EDIT: How much could I benefit from getting a 955/965 BE and overclock it over getting a dual core SB/IB? Or would it actually be worse?

EDIT (2): Think this case is good? CM Elite 430 for $30 (rebate). It only has 1 front fan, so I'll have to invest in at least two or three more fans (one for rear, another one or two for top/side). Oh, and if I do get case fans what do you guys recommend I get (this will not be included in my $500 build, as my friend might have some extra case fans for me).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

EDIT (3): i3 3240 + MSI H61 MOBO for $150 (after rebate), I think this deal is awesome too!
http://www.frys.com/product/7415535?site=sa:adpages page:P7_FRI date:011813
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 17:22 GMT
#27049
No one here have any opinion about upgrading from an ATI 5870?
I was thinking of GTX 560 Ti. I play on low graphics because I like it that way. All I care about is for the game to be smooth.
I got an i7 920 at 4.2 GHz.
Rachnar
Profile Joined October 2010
France1526 Posts
January 19 2013 17:34 GMT
#27050
Read second post on this page, i answered you already
"What if it's a triple DK ?" "Then we cry" "Prepare your handkerchief then ..."
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 17:36 GMT
#27051
Oh - don't know why I didn't see it.

Is there any upgrade you recommend?
Or is 5870 good enough?
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
January 19 2013 18:19 GMT
#27052
On low graphics, 5870 is way enough unless maybe you haven't been telling us about your 3 x 1920 x 1200 Eyefinity setup.

Do you ever check ingame fps and find that it's low?
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 18:22 GMT
#27053
On January 20 2013 03:19 Myrmidon wrote:
On low graphics, 5870 is way enough unless maybe you haven't been telling us about your 3 x 1920 x 1200 Eyefinity setup.

Do you ever check ingame fps and find that it's low?


Hahaha. Good one! :D
My frames drop - enough for me to notice the difference. And the difference makes it harder for me to micro.
But I have not checked the numbers - no.
I will check and come back to you.
NoBanMeAgain
Profile Blog Joined January 2012
United States194 Posts
January 19 2013 18:44 GMT
#27054
I want my pc to be wireless so do i need to buy a internal wifi netowrk card or do the basic walmart/best buy wifi usb's work just fine?
'Widow mines will split open the earth, releasing the fiery bats of hell. The skies will grow black with the shadows of the medivacs, and they shall see no light but the harsh exhaust of afterburners. MajOr-16:1
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
January 19 2013 18:55 GMT
#27055
On January 20 2013 03:22 KAB00000000M wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 20 2013 03:19 Myrmidon wrote:
On low graphics, 5870 is way enough unless maybe you haven't been telling us about your 3 x 1920 x 1200 Eyefinity setup.

Do you ever check ingame fps and find that it's low?


Hahaha. Good one! :D
My frames drop - enough for me to notice the difference. And the difference makes it harder for me to micro.
But I have not checked the numbers - no.
I will check and come back to you.

If you're talking about drops in some games on low settings, especially SC2, that's the CPU's fault. By about June or so we might know how well Haswell overclocks. If it reaches frequencies on the level of Ivy Bridge or hopefully better, you could upgrade CPU + motherboard then. Or now, if you're fine with even more marginal improvements for a significant expenditure.


On January 20 2013 03:44 ImANinjaBich wrote:
I want my pc to be wireless so do i need to buy a internal wifi netowrk card or do the basic walmart/best buy wifi usb's work just fine?

It's pretty much functionally the same either way, just that the internal cards generally have the antennas blocked by your case (also could be close to the floor if you keep it there), which is a bad idea if you're looking at medium-to-longer ranges.

The bigger deal may be bad wireless drivers, which are common, and could be a culprit with anything. Hard to say. Check average customer ratings of whatever you find.
llIH
Profile Joined June 2011
Norway2147 Posts
January 19 2013 18:58 GMT
#27056
On January 20 2013 03:55 Myrmidon wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 20 2013 03:22 KAB00000000M wrote:
On January 20 2013 03:19 Myrmidon wrote:
On low graphics, 5870 is way enough unless maybe you haven't been telling us about your 3 x 1920 x 1200 Eyefinity setup.

Do you ever check ingame fps and find that it's low?


Hahaha. Good one! :D
My frames drop - enough for me to notice the difference. And the difference makes it harder for me to micro.
But I have not checked the numbers - no.
I will check and come back to you.

If you're talking about drops in some games on low settings, especially SC2, that's the CPU's fault. By about June or so we might know how well Haswell overclocks. If it reaches frequencies on the level of Ivy Bridge or hopefully better, you could upgrade CPU + motherboard then. Or now, if you're fine with even more marginal improvements for a significant expenditure.


Show nested quote +
On January 20 2013 03:44 ImANinjaBich wrote:
I want my pc to be wireless so do i need to buy a internal wifi netowrk card or do the basic walmart/best buy wifi usb's work just fine?

It's pretty much functionally the same either way, just that the internal cards generally have the antennas blocked by your case (also could be close to the floor if you keep it there), which is a bad idea if you're looking at medium-to-longer ranges.

The bigger deal may be bad wireless drivers, which are common, and could be a culprit with anything. Hard to say. Check average customer ratings of whatever you find.


I've got my i7-920 @ 4.2GHz. Do you really think it can be the cpu?
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
January 19 2013 19:02 GMT
#27057
Yes, for SC2, it is, if it happens in big battles. Check the fps. Bloomfield at 4.2 GHz is definitely slower than Sandy Bridge / Ivy Bridge at ~4.5 GHz, which can't sustain 40 fps in worst-case 1v1, much less team games.
iTzSnypah
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States1738 Posts
January 19 2013 19:41 GMT
#27058
On January 20 2013 02:21 RiceAgainst wrote:+ Show Spoiler +

Question about building: should you buy all the parts at once, or can you wait ~a week between buying parts just to get the best deals?

~$500 SC2/Witcher 2/SWTOR @ any USA Online (Newegg/Amazon/etc.) Build is:
CPU: i3 3220 $120
GPU: HD7850 $140*
MOBO: AsRock B75M-DGS $55
PSU: CX500 80+ $50**
RAM: ??? (I want 1600Mhz, DDR3, 8GB though I can go down to
GB and MAYBE 4GB) $30-$40***
Case: $50 - $60 ****

*1) So, this deal is only for 24 hours, with about 15 hours remaining. I originally wanted the Gigabyte w/ 2 huge fans and 3 yr. warranty @ $185. Sapphire has a 7850 900Mhz clock (compared to XFX 860 clock) @ $165 w/ 2 yr. warranty (rebate). The XFX is 2 yr. @ 860 but since I plan on OC'ing it anyways, I might as well just get the XFX. Any contradictions or is this deal good enough that I should buy ASAP?

** 2) I know I could get the CX430W for $25 (rebate), and since it's 80+ it's good enough, but I'd rather get a slightly bigger PSU to ensure a longer life & since I'm OC'ing. Unless you guys can prove me wrong that the 430W is good enough (which I hope you guys can), I'll be getting this 500W instead.

*** 3) Currently running DDR3 2x2 GB 1333, which I might just reuse to save money to get an i5 instead. Sufficient, but I'd like to get newer RAM; if I really don't need 1600 and I really don't need 8GB (I run at most, Chrome w/ 10 tabs, Skype, Steam, and SC2/LoL/or SWTOR), then I might get another set of 2x2GB 1333.

**** 4) I don't want terrible cable management but it doesn't have to have amazing management. I'd like a case w/ some fans already installed, maybe something with fans on the top (oh, and question about this: my PC is located directly under my desk so the top fans will blow air out to the underside of my desk: will this air go back in?).

$500 w/o tax and shipping, and w/ rebates included is the ABSOLUTE MOST I will pay. This is because I originally wanted to only upgrade some parts but was convinced otherwise to get a 7850 instead of a 7770, etc. etc.


EDIT: How much could I benefit from getting a 955/965 BE and overclock it over getting a dual core SB/IB? Or would it actually be worse?

EDIT (2): Think this case is good? CM Elite 430 for $30 (rebate). It only has 1 front fan, so I'll have to invest in at least two or three more fans (one for rear, another one or two for top/side). Oh, and if I do get case fans what do you guys recommend I get (this will not be included in my $500 build, as my friend might have some extra case fans for me).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

EDIT (3): i3 3240 + MSI H61 MOBO for $150 (after rebate), I think this deal is awesome too!
7_FRI%20date:011813" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">http://www.frys.com/product/7415535?site=sa:adpages page7_FRI date:011813

H61 motherboards are last gen. SATA 2 USB 2 PCIe 2. The CX500v2 is only a 400w PSU, it's only rated 34A on its 12v rail. No reason to get it over the 430v2 (which is a 380w PSU) if the 430 is cheaper.
Team Liquid needs more Terrans.
RiceAgainst
Profile Blog Joined November 2011
United States1849 Posts
January 19 2013 19:44 GMT
#27059
On January 20 2013 04:41 iTzSnypah wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 20 2013 02:21 RiceAgainst wrote:+ Show Spoiler +

Question about building: should you buy all the parts at once, or can you wait ~a week between buying parts just to get the best deals?

~$500 SC2/Witcher 2/SWTOR @ any USA Online (Newegg/Amazon/etc.) Build is:
CPU: i3 3220 $120
GPU: HD7850 $140*
MOBO: AsRock B75M-DGS $55
PSU: CX500 80+ $50**
RAM: ??? (I want 1600Mhz, DDR3, 8GB though I can go down to
GB and MAYBE 4GB) $30-$40***
Case: $50 - $60 ****

*1) So, this deal is only for 24 hours, with about 15 hours remaining. I originally wanted the Gigabyte w/ 2 huge fans and 3 yr. warranty @ $185. Sapphire has a 7850 900Mhz clock (compared to XFX 860 clock) @ $165 w/ 2 yr. warranty (rebate). The XFX is 2 yr. @ 860 but since I plan on OC'ing it anyways, I might as well just get the XFX. Any contradictions or is this deal good enough that I should buy ASAP?

** 2) I know I could get the CX430W for $25 (rebate), and since it's 80+ it's good enough, but I'd rather get a slightly bigger PSU to ensure a longer life & since I'm OC'ing. Unless you guys can prove me wrong that the 430W is good enough (which I hope you guys can), I'll be getting this 500W instead.

*** 3) Currently running DDR3 2x2 GB 1333, which I might just reuse to save money to get an i5 instead. Sufficient, but I'd like to get newer RAM; if I really don't need 1600 and I really don't need 8GB (I run at most, Chrome w/ 10 tabs, Skype, Steam, and SC2/LoL/or SWTOR), then I might get another set of 2x2GB 1333.

**** 4) I don't want terrible cable management but it doesn't have to have amazing management. I'd like a case w/ some fans already installed, maybe something with fans on the top (oh, and question about this: my PC is located directly under my desk so the top fans will blow air out to the underside of my desk: will this air go back in?).

$500 w/o tax and shipping, and w/ rebates included is the ABSOLUTE MOST I will pay. This is because I originally wanted to only upgrade some parts but was convinced otherwise to get a 7850 instead of a 7770, etc. etc.


EDIT: How much could I benefit from getting a 955/965 BE and overclock it over getting a dual core SB/IB? Or would it actually be worse?

EDIT (2): Think this case is good? CM Elite 430 for $30 (rebate). It only has 1 front fan, so I'll have to invest in at least two or three more fans (one for rear, another one or two for top/side). Oh, and if I do get case fans what do you guys recommend I get (this will not be included in my $500 build, as my friend might have some extra case fans for me).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

EDIT (3): i3 3240 + MSI H61 MOBO for $150 (after rebate), I think this deal is awesome too!
7_FRI%20date:011813" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">http://www.frys.com/product/7415535?site=sa:adpages page7_FRI date:011813

H61 motherboards are last gen. SATA 2 USB 2 PCIe 2. The CX500v2 is only a 400w PSU, it's only rated 34A on its 12v rail. No reason to get it over the 430v2 (which is a 380w PSU) if the 430 is cheaper.


Okay I'll get the CX430W then. As for the CPU+MOBO, I should just stick with the B75 and i3?
iTzSnypah
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States1738 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-01-19 19:51:40
January 19 2013 19:50 GMT
#27060
On January 20 2013 04:44 RiceAgainst wrote:
Show nested quote +
On January 20 2013 04:41 iTzSnypah wrote:
On January 20 2013 02:21 RiceAgainst wrote:+ Show Spoiler +

Question about building: should you buy all the parts at once, or can you wait ~a week between buying parts just to get the best deals?

~$500 SC2/Witcher 2/SWTOR @ any USA Online (Newegg/Amazon/etc.) Build is:
CPU: i3 3220 $120
GPU: HD7850 $140*
MOBO: AsRock B75M-DGS $55
PSU: CX500 80+ $50**
RAM: ??? (I want 1600Mhz, DDR3, 8GB though I can go down to
GB and MAYBE 4GB) $30-$40***
Case: $50 - $60 ****

*1) So, this deal is only for 24 hours, with about 15 hours remaining. I originally wanted the Gigabyte w/ 2 huge fans and 3 yr. warranty @ $185. Sapphire has a 7850 900Mhz clock (compared to XFX 860 clock) @ $165 w/ 2 yr. warranty (rebate). The XFX is 2 yr. @ 860 but since I plan on OC'ing it anyways, I might as well just get the XFX. Any contradictions or is this deal good enough that I should buy ASAP?

** 2) I know I could get the CX430W for $25 (rebate), and since it's 80+ it's good enough, but I'd rather get a slightly bigger PSU to ensure a longer life & since I'm OC'ing. Unless you guys can prove me wrong that the 430W is good enough (which I hope you guys can), I'll be getting this 500W instead.

*** 3) Currently running DDR3 2x2 GB 1333, which I might just reuse to save money to get an i5 instead. Sufficient, but I'd like to get newer RAM; if I really don't need 1600 and I really don't need 8GB (I run at most, Chrome w/ 10 tabs, Skype, Steam, and SC2/LoL/or SWTOR), then I might get another set of 2x2GB 1333.

**** 4) I don't want terrible cable management but it doesn't have to have amazing management. I'd like a case w/ some fans already installed, maybe something with fans on the top (oh, and question about this: my PC is located directly under my desk so the top fans will blow air out to the underside of my desk: will this air go back in?).

$500 w/o tax and shipping, and w/ rebates included is the ABSOLUTE MOST I will pay. This is because I originally wanted to only upgrade some parts but was convinced otherwise to get a 7850 instead of a 7770, etc. etc.


EDIT: How much could I benefit from getting a 955/965 BE and overclock it over getting a dual core SB/IB? Or would it actually be worse?

EDIT (2): Think this case is good? CM Elite 430 for $30 (rebate). It only has 1 front fan, so I'll have to invest in at least two or three more fans (one for rear, another one or two for top/side). Oh, and if I do get case fans what do you guys recommend I get (this will not be included in my $500 build, as my friend might have some extra case fans for me).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

EDIT (3): i3 3240 + MSI H61 MOBO for $150 (after rebate), I think this deal is awesome too!
7_FRI%20date:011813" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">http://www.frys.com/product/7415535?site=sa:adpages page7_FRI date:011813

H61 motherboards are last gen. SATA 2 USB 2 PCIe 2. The CX500v2 is only a 400w PSU, it's only rated 34A on its 12v rail. No reason to get it over the 430v2 (which is a 380w PSU) if the 430 is cheaper.


Okay I'll get the CX430W then. As for the CPU+MOBO, I should just stick with the B75 and i3?

Yeah. However you'll have to come to the realization that the CXv2 series has a major issue with coil whine. My CX500v2 has coil whine, most of the time I don't hear it, fans drown it out. However whenever I turn off the computer I have to hit the switch on the PSU because the whine is unbearable. If you're going to stash the tower where you don't have easy access to the back I would consider not buying a CXv2 series PSU.
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